[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

vs Derbyshire

County Championship, Division Two

The County Ground, Derby

Day One: Heavy overnight rain rendered the outfield unplayable, costing two full sessions of play.  Things finally got going at 4pm with the Pears putting Derby in to bat, and it was a dream start with Joe Leach bowling Slater off the final ball of the first over.  In good conditions for the seamers, Worcestershire would have hoped to push on from there and take four or five before close of play, but the Derbyshire batsmen played well to see off the new ball and settle themselves at the crease.  It took an hour and more before Thakor was caught at second slip by Daryl Mitchell off a Jack Shantry delivery, and though Madsen followed shortly thereafter, caught behind off a ball from young Josh Tongue, Luis Reece worked his way to a half-century and Billy Godleman remains not out on 13.  Derbyshire 111-3 at close of play, and likely to be marginally the happier of the two sides.  If the forecast for tomorrow is to be believed, we're looking at an hour of fine weather followed by heavy showers all afternoon.  If the Pears can dismiss Reece and Godleman before the rain hits then we might well have a good day of it.

Day Two: The Pears did indeed dismiss Reece and Godleman before the rain hit, but when the heavens opened, they meant business.  Play came only in fits and starts through the early afternoon, though there was sufficient time for Hughes to make a half-century and Nathan Lyon to take his maiden first-class wicket for Worcestershire, but the weather was the ultimate winner.  With the outfield waterlogged again, close of play came at 5pm with Derbyshire 200-6.  The forecast for Sunday and Monday is precipitation-free; so, two days of adventurous cricket to try and force a result, or a slow trundle towards the inevitable draw?  We'll see tomorrow.

Day Three: A fine day in every respect, with the rain finally gone and Worcestershire very much in business.  Derbyshire were bowled out for 275 (perhaps a larger total than the Pears would have hoped having been 200-6 overnight), but the day belonged to Mitchell and Dolly whose opening partnership of 243, including a century apiece, put the Pears very much in the driving seat.  A few wickets tumbled in the last hour, including both openers, but with Worcestershire 323-3 and leading by 48 runs, it's been an excellent day's work.  Worcestershire's biggest opponent now is time: a draw is by far the most likely result, but if the Pears can pile on runs by the dozens tomorrow morning and then have a go at bowling Derbyshire out in the last two sessions, a big win might still be there for the taking.

Day Four: Magnificent stuff. The Pears batsmen added 92 more runs off seventeen overs on Monday morning, with Pepsi supplying 42 of them, before taking the bold move of declaring a little after midday on 415-9, setting Derbyshire a first-innings lead of just 140. It proved an inspired stroke by captain Joe Leach as the home side proceeded to collapse. The first six overs saw them lose four wickets for just 18 runs, and though the middle-order shored things up as best they could before lunch, the match was gone. Leach himself took five-fer over the course of the day, taking his total haul in the Championship this season to twenty-two in just three matches, before allowing Josh Tongue and Nathan Lyon to bring the match to a close with hours to spare. Derbyshire all out for 98 in less than thirty overs, and Worcestershire pull off a stunning innings victory that looked nigh on impossible after losing the best part of two days to rain. A full 24 points gained, a fifth successive Championship win stretching back to last season, and the county's best start to a season since winning three from three in 1988.

Worcestershire WIN by an innings and forty-two runs

Star Performer: That first-wicket stand between Mitch and Dolly that lasted most of Sunday and gifted them a century each was certainly key to this win.  But with nine wickets in the match and an inspired declaration, the architect of Derbyshire's defeat has to be Joe Leach. The new captain is going from strength to strength, and taking his team with him.

Next Match: Worcestershire look to extend the Championship winning streak to six with a visit to Northants next weekend.